EVENTS IN TIME (BIBLE PROPHECY LITERALLY FULFILLED)(BY GOD)

I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM.

Monday, December 31, 2007

666 (600 60 6) MARK OF THE DICTATOR

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-87 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:88 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:1111 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WELLINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale occurred near Taopo, the North Island of New Zealand, early Saturday, but no damages were reported. GNS Science said the quake, occurred at 7:03 a.m. local time Saturday (18:03 GMT Friday), was centered 80 km below the surface of Lake Taupo and was felt across much of the central North Island. An earlier quake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale occurred on Thursday. It was located 10 km northwest of Turangi at a depth of 120 km. Earthquakes near Taupo in the last few days were nothing out of the ordinary and their depth should have prevented damage, GNS Science said. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Gisborne region in North Island on Dec. 20, and caused damages. Editor: Jiang Yuxia.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-2625 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Snowstorms disrupt travel in central US Fri Dec 28, 4:38 PM ET

CHICAGO (AFP) - Heavy snowstorms continued to disrupt travel in the central United States Friday and forecasters said little relief was expected until the New Year. More than 400 flights were cancelled and delays were averaging an hour and a half at Chicago's O'Hare airport as the storm system which crippled Denver on Thursday moved eastward.But the Chicago airport authority said there was no need yet to bring out the cots set up last weekend as fog and wind stranded thousands of Christmas travelers.They're handling it fine, spokeswoman Karen Pride said of Friday's stranded and delayed passengers.It looks like it's a normal day.

United Airlines, which has hubs in both Chicago and Denver, has been hard-hit by the storms.Last weekend's delays led the airline to cancel even more flights on Monday and Tuesday because of crew shortages after mandatory work limits were reached.The debacle led to harsh words from the company's pilots union, which noted that other airlines had managed to operate with few cancellations in the same conditions.United said it shifted the crews around to make sure that passengers made it to their destinations in time for Christmas and that the current storm would not upset their schedule as much.We will operate as many flights as we safely can, spokeswoman Megan McCarthy told AFP.We have sufficient pilots to operate our flights for the remainder of the year.But delays and cancellations could be unavoidable given the storm systems expected to blow through the midwest in the coming days, the National Weather Service predicted.It's going to be a fairly active week, said meteorologist Michael Eckert.It looks like the Great Lakes and northeast United States are going to have mostly snow for tonight and Saturday, cooling down on Sunday and a second storm system will be riding up the east coast Sunday and Monday, he said in a telephone interview Friday.

Then we'll have another storm system coming across the Great Lakes and much of the eastern United States will get really cold for the New Year.Both systems will dump about eight to 15 centimeters (three to six inches) of snow, which is quite normal for this time of year but enough to make road and runway conditions difficult, he added.

One storm moves out of Atlantic Canada, another moves in Sun Dec 30, 1:19 AMBy The Canadian Press

As one winter storm moves out of Atlantic Canada - another is moving in. A new storm system is moving fast up the U-S coast. Snowfall warnings have been issued for Newfoundland's southern coast and the Avalon Peninsula, with up to 15 centimetres expected by noon today. Just two days ago a blizzard dumped 20 centimetres on the St. John's area forcing government offices to close and disrupting air traffic. The new system will start bringing snow to southwestern Nova Scotia tonight, then barrel across the province to Cape Breton by Monday morning. Environment Canada says significant snowfall amounts can be expected before the snow changes to ice pellets or freezing rain, then rain. Prince Edward Island should start seeing snow Monday morning. Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once the storm hits, making driving treacherous in many areas.

METEORS HIT THE EARTH

REVELATION 6:12-1712 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

REVELATION 8:12-1312 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!

NASA Article Astronomers have good news, better news and some bad news about an asteroid known as 2007 WD5. The good news is that this 164-ft.-wide chunk of speeding space rock, discovered in November in an ongoing search for potential threats to Earth, won't hit our planet any time in the foreseeable future. The better news — for eager space-watchers — is that the asteroid, currently about halfway between Earth and Mars, has a plausible chance of hitting the Red Planet at the end of January. If it does, astronomers will be treated to an unprecedented sight.

The event itself, however, will have plenty of precedent. The craters that pock the surface of Mars, the Moon, Mercury and other Solar System bodies come from about four billion years' worth of this sort of thing. Earth has had plenty of collisions too; it's just that erosion, continental drift and vegetation have erased or hidden most of them. Not all, though: Meteor Crater, in Arizona, was blasted out some 50,000 years ago by an asteroid about the same size as 2007 WD5. A much bigger object, a few miles across, is thought by many scientists to be the reason the dinosaurs died out some 65 million years ago.If 2007 WD5 does smack into Mars, every telescope on Earth will be pointed in that direction — just as they were in 1994 when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter. In that case, the comet broke up while it was still in orbit, so astronomers watched nearly two dozen individual impacts. But Jupiter is made mostly of thick clouds, so there was no lasting scar, and because it lies so far from Earth, the event wasn't quite as spectacular as this one promises to be. Asteroid 2007 WD5 should release some 3 megatons of energy if it slams into solid ground near Mars' equator, and orbiting satellites will show the aftermath with crystal clarity.

Finally, the bad news: 2007 WD5 has only a 1-in-75 chance of actually hitting Mars, which means astronomers would be wise to be pessimistic. But the possibility of impact calls to mind a loosely related incident that occurred almost exactly 100 years ago, when something exploded above the Tunguska region of Siberia, flattening trees in a 25-mile radius, their trunks pointing outward from the epicenter of the blast. Scientists are pretty sure it was a comet or asteroid — about the same size as 2007 WD5, as it happens — that disintegrated from its own shock wave as it plowed through the atmosphere. (UFO enthusiasts have long been convinced it was a flying saucer that somehow made it across trillions of miles of interstellar space safely, only to blow up above Russia.) The scientific explanation would account for the aerial explosion, and also the fact that no crater has been found.

Except that now maybe it has. An Italian team has measured seismic waves reflecting off a high-density spot in the bottom of the suspiciously crater-shaped Lake Cheko, which lies close to the event's ground zero. It could be a piece of the original object — and finding it could help investigators understand exactly what happened a century ago.If they find a burned-out flying-saucer engine, all bets are off.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-121 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:11 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-73 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

A Russian government agency disputed reports that it had signed a contract to sell a sophisticated air-defense system to Iran, saying it had no such plans. This week, the Iranian defense minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najar, said that a contact had been signed and that Russia would equip Iran with S-300 missiles, which are used to shoot down planes and missiles. In a statement posted on its Web site, the Russian agency, the Federal Military and Technical Cooperation Service, flatly denied the Iranian claim. The issue of supplying Iran with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, raised by mass media, is not on the agenda, is not being considered and is not being discussed with the Iranian side at the moment, the statement said.

GPS device demonstrated for Russian headsDec. 29, 2007 at 2:14 PM

Print story Email to a friend Font size:MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and top security officials witnessed a demonstration Saturday of their country's new global positioning system.Alexei Gromov, the presidential press secretary, told RIA Novosti that Russian Security Council members were on hand with Putin in Moscow to witness the demonstration of the new global navigational satellite system, Glonass.Once fully operational in 2010, the system will use 24 satellites to provide detailed positioning and navigational data for all of Russia. Currently, the system offers coverage of the entire Russian Federation, but with only 18 satellites.

A similar GPS system is set to launch in 2008 with a focus of tracking pets from orbit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.ITAR-TASS said that, according to Gromov, other matters of Russian domestic and foreign policy also were discussed during the meeting Saturday.2007 United Press International.

British Council spat could hit EU-Russia ties: ambassadorDEC 29,07

MOSCOW (AFP) — Britain's envoy to Russia warned Saturday that plans to shut British cultural offices could hamper EU-Russia ties, but said London would not block talks on a new bilateral pact because of the dispute.It will be very difficult, I think, for the European Union to adopt this mandate instantly at a time when the British Council is under extreme pressure, because part of the European Union's relationship with Russia is a cultural relationship, Ambassador Anthony Brenton told Interfax news agency.

Russia has said it will in January shut down two branches of the British Council, which promotes British culture in Russia.Moscow says the move is motivated mainly by alleged tax irregularities, but has also explicitly described it as retaliation for diplomatic sanctions imposed by Britain over the investigation into the London murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.Britain has rejected both motives.Despite the spat, Brenton said that London continues to support a new agreement between Brussels and Moscow.Britain has no intention of imposing a veto on the new talks, he said. We want a good, constructive, and forward-looking relationship between Russia and the European Union.

We've been very supportive of carrying forward the so-called mandate of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to the stage that it is at now. It's blocked because of a separate bilateral dispute with Poland, he said.We really want to see those talks launched at the right time and in a way that strengthens the European Union's relationship with Russia, he said.The British Council has been in conflict with the Russian government for years over alleged irregularities in its legal status.It currently has two regional branches in Yekaterinburg and Saint Petersburg, down from 15 three years ago.Moscow claims that as a profit-making entity, the British Council is subject to taxes on its revenue. British officials maintain the council is a cultural part of Britain's embassy and as such has diplomatic immunity.

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - The intent of the European Union andNATO to take charge of the Kosovo status definition is baseless, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said in an article published by the Saturday issue of the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.Representatives of the United States and certain EU member countries to the UN Security Council officially declared that all possibilities in the Kosovo dialog had been used and it would be senseless to carry on the negotiations.

They also said that the European Union and NATO would now be in charge of the Kosovo settlement. This is an unprecedented step; it is politically and morally baseless, he said. A precedent dangerous for international laws and internationalsecurity is being set at the end of the year. It may blast stability in certain parts of the world, he said.Kosovo is a part of Serbia by international law and resolutions of the UN Security Council, Gorbachev said.Never before two organizations have taken charge of the future of a country - Serbia - that is not a member of either of them, he said.

While toppling international laws and replacing them with thepoorly camouflaged abuse of power, the authors of this policy obviously neglect the possible consequences of their step, Gorbachev said.te

An idyllic venue for a tough rotating European presidency Slovenia to host major EU events at Brdo Castle, one of Tito’s former homes EPA

Brdo Castle, some 25 kilometers from Ljubljana, where the Slovenian presidency of the European Union will hold its main political events, starting in January.

LJUBLJANA (AFP) – The Brdo pri Kranju castle, one of the residences of former Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito, will host most of the Eurpean Union’s meetings in Slovenia during the country’s presidency of the bloc, starting on January 1.Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic that joined the EU in 2004, will be the first newcomer to hold the rotating six-month presidency and is expected to host about 150 meetings, including 14 ministerial ones, out of the 1,000 events EU officials usually hold in one semester.

The rest will take place in Brussels or Luxembourg.

Slovenia decided to hold most of their meetings at a single pleasant, accessible and easy-to-secure location and settled on Brdo pri Kranju, a Renaissance-style castle originally built in the 16th century, and which now boasts a stylish new congress center on its grounds to host the union’s meetings.Situated some 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Ljubljana airport, the idyllic castle is surrounded by 500 landscaped hectares (1,235 acres) at the foot of the Karavanken mountains. The castle, which often changed hands in the last five centuries, has a rich history.It is believed to have been one of the favorite residences of Serbian, and later Yugoslav, Prince Paul Karadjordjevic, who bought it in 1935, and his descendants still lay claim to it.After World War II, the communist regime nationalized the castle, which became one of the preferred residences of Josip Broz Tito, who ruled Yugoslavia from 1944 to his death in 1980.When Slovenia declared independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991, the authorities chose Brdo Castle as their main official residence and in June 2001, it staged the first official summit between US President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The Brdo estate is also part of a natural park, with a number of springs and streams, 11 ponds and a large variety of protected plant and animal life.Slovenia, which has a population of only 2 million, plans to spend some 60 million euros (86 million dollars) on the EU presidency, including the cost of construction for the Brdo conference center, which was inaugurated in December. Ljubljana has hired over 1,500 officials, a 10th of the country’s public servants, for the duration of the presidency, and they have been given language and negotiation courses.Slovenia’s delegation in Brussels, which will handle all presidency-related tasks, has increased in size to some 170 officials, almost as many as Germany – a country over 17 times the size of Slovenia – had when it headed the EU in the first half of 2007.

To Chip or Not To ChipBy Ray Gano

Dealing with Bible Prophecy, we as the watchmen and women on the wall continually keep our eyes and ears focused on events that take place around us and in the news. For the past 10 or so years many in the Bible Prophecy arena have been talking and speculating about a technology called the radio transponder Biochip. When this was unveiled everyone myself included said “This is it! This is the mark of the beast!

After countless hours of research, I feel that the implantable Biochip is NOT what the antichrist is going to use. But there is an upcoming technology which is related to the biochip that is taking the world by storm. So much so that superstore giant Walmart as well as the US Department of Defense have mandated that if you want to do business with them, you must comply with the new technology that they have just put in place. Enter RFID or Radio Frequency Identification.But before we delve more into RFID, lets look at what it says in scripture.

What is The Mark of The Beast?

The mark of the beast is referred to in scripture on eight different occasions. The place that draws the most attention is Revelation13:16-18,

And he causeth all, both small and great. rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, of the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six, 666.(KJV)

For many centuries the meaning of these passages was veiled in obscurity. It's interesting that after almost 2000 years these verses, like never before in all of human history, have started to really come into focus.

This in and of itself is fascinating in light of Daniel 12:4:

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

To fully understand the meaning, you must remember that the New Testament was written in Greek. The etymology of the word mark will shed great light on the actual, intended meaning.

The word mark, as used in Revelation 13:16-17, is the Greek word charagma. The root word of charagma is charasso, which means to engrave. Now, charagma is a Greek noun in the accusative neuter singular and is preceded by the Greek preposition epee, which means upon.

According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word charagma means a scratch or etching, stamp a badge of servitude, graven mark. Derivatives of the word are: charakter- a graver, the figure stamped, i.e. an exact copy or representation, express image; charax- to sharpen to a point through the idea of scratching.

In Revelation 13 we see three components of the future new world order working in tandem under this future 666 Antichrist and his world system. Jeff Baker, political analyst, researcher, and journalist, in his excellent classic book, Cheque Mate, (p. 203) comments on the meaning and significance of 666.

I believe that the 666 is actually a combination of three sets of sixes. The first 6 represents man's political system, the second 6 represents the economic system of man, and the third represents the religious system of man. A very astute observation and that is exactly the three headed structure we find in Rev. 13. The 666 referred to in verse 18 is very significant, because in ancient times a person's name had a fixed numerical value. The reason for that: the letters of the alphabet were used for numbers. In scripture, 6 is the number representing man. The number 6 is also considered sacred by many new age and secret society groups, a triad, or 3, is God's number. So, the triple 6 (666) is the symbol of man making himself God. See Daniel 11:36 and 2 Thess. 2:4.

The number 666 is also the Greek word chi xi stigma. (Rev. 13:18)

Now when one looks up stigma in Strongs, this is what you find…

Strong's Concordance stigma: G5516- stigma The 22nd, 14th, and an obsolete letter of the Greek alphabet, used as numbers; denoting respectively 600, 60, and 6; 666 as a numeral-six hundred threescore and six.

A Biochip / Verichip is an implantable radio frequency device that is about the size of a grain of rice. It is implanted subdermally through an injection during an outpatient procedure. It contains information about the patient's medical history which can then be obtained by passing an eternal scanner across the area of skin where the biochip / verichip has been inserted. The biochip / verichip is dormant under the skin until this external scanner passes radio frequency energy to it energizing the chip, which then emits a radio frequency signal containing the identification number of the chip. This identification number is transmitted to an FDA compliant secure data storage site via the telephone or internet and the medical information is then provided, helping the medical professional. Right now it only holds a small amount of data. However, Applied Digital Solutions are planning on adding sensors that will read your vital signs and a satellite receiver that can track where you are, much like digital angel. (1)

Here is some more interesting information about the Biochip. Dr. Daniel Man was awarded a patent for developing a microchip to be placed under the skin. Back in the 1990’s Peter LaLonde, producer and anchorman for This Week In Bible Prophecy had a fascinating interview with Dr. Man. Dr. Man who is also a Jew, stated that it is his desire to see every Israeli Jew have the microchip transponder that he developed implanted under their skin. The stated purpose: the end of kidnapping and terrorism, as each individual could be precisely located instantly.No one questions Dr. Man's intentions for the good of his fellow Israelis.

It also must be emphasized that technology-- in and of itself --is not evil. However, imagine Adolph Hitler with similar surveillance ID microchip capability at his disposal. What would he have done with it?

Problems with the Biochip

The prior definition above gives a good view of what the biochip is, but I want to take it a bit further. You see, I believe that the Mark of the Beast is 3 fold instrument of the antichrist. It is the proof of economic, political and religious allegiance.

1. You give your allegiance and soul an economical system.

2. You give your allegiance and soul a political system.

3. You give your allegiance and soul a religious system.

When the mark of the beast is put in place, the individual will accept whole heartedly and with his or her soul an economical, political and religious system. The mark of the beast must meet all three.

For example in World Net Daily article, GOP star to get chip implant

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson has volunteered to get an RFID electronic chip implant to show the world just how safe the new technology is.

The former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in President Bush's first term sees it as a potentially life-saving move because the chip will have details of his medical history should he ever be in an accident.

Thompson will be among the first humans to get the chip. Pets have been routinely chipped at pounds and veterinarians' offices in recent years. (2)

In having a biochip implanted, Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson did not take the mark of the beast. The reason is that it did not meet all the necessary requirements that are needed to be The Mark of The Beast. He did not pledge his allegiance and his soul to a political system, economic system or religious system. Now I think that he was rather foolish in doing this, but he did not receive the mark of the beast.

The reason that I say that the implantable biochip is NOT the mark of the beast is for several reasons

1.I feel that when the mark is taken, it is something that the people of that time and of that mindset are going to be very proud to do. Remember that this will be a very powerful thing taking place. There will be religious ceremony, political pride etc. These individuals are giving their allegiance and soul to the anti-christ. The mere narcissistic nature of the anti-christ will not allow for anything else. He will want to rub this in God’s face. I can just hear him say See God, See! These are MY followers! NOT YOURS! So this will be something of major importance to the world and to the people in that time who take the mark.

2.The implantable biochip is something that is just as it is called, implanted. Meaning; that it is going to be placed deep under the surface of the skin. There is no sign of one taking the mark, no way to recognize a person who has the mark and no unity just because of an implant. Only way one knows if they have received a biochip / mark is if their biochip is “read” from a sensor or reader someplace.

3.The biochip in and of itself is not tamper proof and also there is no means for true authentication of the person and the biochip. It is only the biochip. Just imagine someone who is living during that time, they could find someone who had a chip, cut it out and presto, they can now move around freely although they would still need the chip to buy and sell.

4.Lithium leakage if capsule were broken could cause serious sores.

If it is not the Implantable Biochip, What is it then?

I remember seeing my first RFID about four years ago when I purchased a computer manual at Barnes and Nobel. (To those who are reading this outside the US, Barnes and Nobel is a book superstore.) I actually discovered it while reading the book. I knew what it was then when I saw it, but I really did not pay much thought to it at that time. You see, Barnes and Nobles were one of the first companies to adopt a RFID inventory & theft system. How do you think they are able to maintain such a huge stock as well as maintain a fair price?

It is in the summer 2004. The RFID industry was starting to pick up speed. There were more companies entering the market, more companies utilizing the technology. We fast forward to today. Tracye and I utilize a news program to stay up to the minute on what is going on in the world. One of the areas that we have been keeping an eye on for the last month or so is RFID. In researching back to 2004, you would see an article here, a press release there. Today, a new article or press release comes out almost every hour, RFID industry advances in technology, new business solutions, network architecture, etc. The RFID industry is moving at a faster rate than the dot com industry did in the past and everyone knows how fast and how often dot coms were in the news.

On Oct 23, 2005, the public was informed that all new US Passports will contain a RFID tag. (Drivers licenses are next)

In May 2005 a military spending bill was passed that included a little known law that was pretty much buried called Real ID Act.

Real ID: Big Brother Could Cost Big Money

Buried in an $82 billion military spending bill and passed without any congressional debate in May 2005, the Real ID Act was touted as an anti-terrorist and immigration reform bill…

Two main forms of protection are being considered: Magnetic stripes or two-dimensional (2-D) barcodes; and contactless integrated circuits such as radio frequency identification (RFID) chips.

If the government opts to require RFID chips, more than 196 million U.S. drivers will be forced to carry a license that has the memory to store every detail about the person, including health records, family history, bank and credit card transactions. Another pitfall is that information on RFID chips can be remotely accessed by unauthorized persons. (3)

What Is RFID?

RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is a cousin to the Implantable Radio Transponder Chip. The difference is that the chip has to be implanted; an RFID tag can be placed on just about any surface or embedded just below. Where the older Chip was incased in glass, the RFID no longer needs that.

This is from RFID 101…

Unlike ubiquitous UPC bar-code technology, RFID technology does not require contact or line of sight for communication. RFID data can be read through the human body, clothing and non-metallic materials.RFID is in use all around us. If you have ever chipped your pet with an ID tag, used EZPass through a toll booth, or paid for gas using SpeedPass, you've used RFID. In addition, RFID is increasingly used with biometric technologies for security verification.RFID is all around you and many of us did not even know that it was there. Imagine in the very near future you walk up to the cashier at your favorite superstore and the person behind the counter tells you, that is $45.19 please. And get this you have not even taken the items out of your basket yet. But that is ok, you tell the person behind the counter, thank you and tap your wallet on a little pad next to the credit card/debit card keypad and presto, your bill is paid. How can this happen? All the items in the store have a RFID tag that has been printed on the container or package, when you walked into the RFID sensor / reading zone, your items were instantly scanned and totaled. You quickly and conveniently paid with your visa, mastercard, or debt card that has a RFID tag imbedded. The new buzz word for this is called, Contactless Payment

The New Wave

Just as with the EZPass toll system for highways and bridges, or Exxon Mobil's SpeedPass for gas, the new contactless system uses radio frequency waves, or RFID, to transmit encoded information. You have to be very close to the receiver, but there's no need to give up your card to a clerk or insert it into a machine to read the magnetic stripe. And there's no need to dig for cash or coins.It is the new wave, said Dave Jentsch, senior vice president of card products for HSBC Bank USA. People don't want to have to swipe a card and then wait to either sign a receipt or enter PINs. They want to get in, get out and pay quickly.Such contactless payments are the newest effort by banks, credit card companies and merchants to extend the reach of plastic payments and reduce Americans' reliance on cash. The goal is to make it possible to pay for small-dollar purchases by using credit or debit cards where they haven't been used before, but without tying up the consumer and merchant.

Banks and merchants say the electronic payments are faster, easy, more secure and more convenient than cash, and they're cheaper for the business to handle. And by accepting fast plastic for purchases, merchants hope to bring in more business -- and larger purchases -- from consumers who are in a hurry or who don't have enough cash on them.Those merchants recognize that people don't want to stand in line, said Tom O'Donnell, senior vice president of marketing for JPMorgan Chase's Card Services division. Customers will keep driving if the line is too long, if there's too many sets of taillights, or if there's too many people parked at the convenience store.

Why RFID?

There are many problems in the world that RFID could be touted as the solution to the problem.

1.Terrorism / border control – as we all know terrorism is on the rise. The ability to keep track of who enter and exit borders as well as keep tabs on individuals is a very high priority right now and will continue into the future.

2.Criminals – Criminal activity is also at an all time high, if criminals had RFID tags, then tracking these individuals would be possible. Not to say also that this would help in the fight against the very high rate of child abductions. Have all the sex offenders in the RFID database and when the sexual predator enters an area near a school, the police are informed and the perpetrator is picked up.

3.Control of goods / inventory – RFID controlled stores, such as Walmart, are showing a substantial increase in profits due to inventory control and theft. If one takes this one step more and implement Contactless Payment, retail and grocery stores can save millions in employee costs. If there is no need for a person to check you out at the store, then the store saves money.

4.Contactless Payment also solves a lot of the counterfeit money problem that the US as well as many other nations around the world have. In fact just recently North Korea created / counterfeited $100.00 dollar bills and were starting to put them into the market. Even with all the precautions that our currency has, it is still not totally copy proof.I think if you would look at the applications, you to can come up with many other uses that RFID can perform. The use for RFID in controlling goods, services and resources is endless.

My Speculation regarding RFID

I have been actively keeping an eye on the RFID industry these last few months as I have stated before. I would like to point out some press releases and news articles that have come out of the industry in just these last few weeks. Conductive inks - Conductive inks are used to produce conductive tracks for the manufacture of printed circuits, membrane switches or printed wiring boards (PCB, PWB) and for a wide variety of other uses such as intelligent packages, circuit components and antennae for radio frequency identification solutions,RFID Powder – The newest form of RFID tag is Creo’s Traceless® taggant. Traceless® is a powder that is mixed with ink or other fluid and applied to product packaging during manufacturing. Suspending the powder particles in fluid allows them to form a random pattern known as the taggant image signature. A computer records/retains this signature as the item’s unique identifier, like the EPC of traditional RFID…What really distinguishes Traceless® is that it is undetectable, making it virtually impossible to counterfeit or tamper with. Using proprietary methods, Creo mixes a ratio of taggant in solution that is too small to be perceived visually or chemically, and is detectable only by Traceless® readers.Fluidic Self Assembly - Fluidic Self Assembly that floats RFID chips in a water-based slurry. When the slurry is passed over tag material, the individual chips automatically settle into position.

RFID tags on flexible substances entirely by printing - Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has developed a technique to fabricate RFID tags on flexible substrates entirely by printing. It utilizes a pressure annealing method, which can decrease the electrical resistance of antennas, wirings, and electrodes formed by screen printing by more than three orders of magnitude, and enables the fabrication of highly sensitive RF tags without high-temperature baking.

DNA-Enabled Security Holograms - The strategic combination of DNA-Hologram technologies and RFID, available from Holomex and Applied DNA Sciences in a single device opens major new opportunities for the packaging industry, increased protection for brands and greater safety for consumers. We are in active discussions with several of the largest firms in the packaging industry and our new products are receiving an extremely positive reception. (10)

RFID Network Architecture - Cisco Systems recently announced an Intelligent Foundation for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to help enterprises introduce RF technologies into their supply chains to increase visibility into product information and optimize business flow for lower operating costs.

Central to Cisco RFID Solutions is the extension of Cisco AON to now include embedded RFID middleware functions into the network onto Cisco data center switches and branch office routers, leading to increased scalability, reduced deployment cost and more simplicity. The RFID-enabled Cisco AON modules can be installed throughout an enterprise's network. The AON modules can perform tasks like outbound encryption, digital signature and content-based routing when sharing data with external business partners. According to Cisco, by enabling localized event responses, customers can now optimize business application performance as well as maximize network value as they deploy current and future RFID applications across their enterprises.

First Strong Security Solution for RFID – WESTPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2005--SecureRF Corporation has developed the world's first commercial-strength security solution to address both passive and active radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Its solution is several thousand times more efficient than any currently available commercial security system and can also address other resource-constrained environments including smart cards and wireless devices. Initial target markets for SecureRF include applications for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and high value supply chains.

By now I think that you can see where I am going with this. But first of all, I want to put a disclaimer here and say that the above press releases and their companies are not covertly working with some sort of secret organization to create the mark of the beast. These are all companies that are on the fast track implementing a new technology and I applaud that. As stated above, I see a lot of good in RFID and it would solve a lot of problems. In the wrong hands, I see a lot of bad as well.

The above articles are footnoted at the end of this article and I advise you to read all the articles. All these leaps in the RFID industry has taken place in just the last several weeks. That is a lot of technology moving in one direction really fast. If you take all these latest developments and put them together, it is my opinion that you have the technology and makings for the mark of the beast.

Let me review here.

We read in Revelation 13:16-18 that the word mark literally means to be engraved upon. When computer chips are produced, the process is called chemically engraving upon a piece of silicon. I speculate that the mark of the beast will be some sort of engraving, chemical or other process that will create and bond down to the DNA level a RFID chip directly into the skin. It will become part of the skin and be flexible. With current technology the RFID chip is tamper proof, highly secure as well as can possibly be printed / engraved / tattooed onto the skin with a hologram which also creates another level of security and authentication. The mentioned technologies, if taken further and as the technologies grow, technology can produce that very effect which I speculate and present in this article. With a chip that is engraved, and bonded at the DNA level, the chip itself can draw power strait from the electrical current flowing through the body, thus creating an Active RFID tag that can be read and can communicate with RFID reading / sensing devices over 100 feet and quit possibly from satellite. Everyone will literally be part of the network.

In presenting this model, it also meets all 3 of the points that I make which encompasses the mark of the beast. Again those points are an economical, a political and a religious system all wrapped into one. By having some sort of holographic image on the right hand or forehead, there is also recognition and unity of the masses who take the mark. This also identifies those who have not taken the mark. My earnest hope is that many of you that took the time to read this information won't just let all this fall by the wayside. Right now you have two options. You have an opportunity to freely receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, or someday face a global tyrannical dictator who will demand the entire world to worship him and show allegiance to him by receiving his mark. This mark will reveal that you are owned by him; failure to comply will result in execution by beheading-Rev 20;4. I believe the first option is by far a better decision, don't you?

Here is what God’s Word says…

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

I would encourage you to not delay in receiving Christ as you Savior today if you have not already done so. He died for your sins, and rose from the dead. He offers you eternal life, but that's your choice to make. I hope you will consider doing that today.

Sinners Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I know that I am a sinner in need of a savior. I need your forgiveness through Jesus Christ who died on the cross just for me to cover the sins that I have committed against you. Please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart. I want to live for you Lord Jesus and from this day forward be known as a Child of God. Thank you for forgiving my sins and coming into my life, in Jesus’ wonderful name. Amen

If you are a Christian, but have fallen away from the Lord, come back to Him. Our Heavenly Father is a good and loving Father. Just ask and commune with Him. You see, He never left your side, we just left Him. Reach out and renew your relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior today.I also ask that if you know someone who would benefit from this article, please freely share it with them.

PSALMS 102:2828 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

PSALMS 115:13-1413 He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

PSALMS 127:3-53 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

ISAIAH 49:17,25-2617 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

ISAIAH 54:1313 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

PRAY CONTINUALLY FOR YOUR FAMILY TO BE SAVED NOT JUST ONCE IN A WHILE.

HEBREWS 10:35-3635 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

EXODUS 12:33 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

HEBREWS 11:1717 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

GENESIS 7:11 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2 PETER 2:55 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

GENESIS 19:2929 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

JEREMIAH 31:16-1716 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER IN THE BIBLE.

ACTS 16:25-3025 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

MATTHEW 16:13-1713 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

VATICAN - NEW LEVEL TALKS WITH MUSLIMS

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-87 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:88 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:1111 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Earthquake rattles Turkey27/12/2007 13:12 - (SA)

Washington - A 5.3-magnitude earthquake rattled central Turkey on Thursday near Ankara, the United States Geological Survey reported. The earthquake, which struck at a depth of 10km, was located 50km southeast of Ankara, 127km southwest of Cankiri and 138km northeast of Usak, the USGS said. The earthquake was recorded at 01:47 on Thursday local time. US geologists used the moment magnitude scale, which measured the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released. A measurement of five indicated a moderate earthquake, six or higher a strong quake, seven a major quake and eight a great quake.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-2625 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The floods that occurred in a number of regions in Indonesia during the past three months inundated almost 70,000 hectares of rice fields and caused harvest failures on 6,676hectares, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said.The floods that have been happening since last October have inundated 68,277 hectares of rice fields, of which some 6,676 hectares failed to be harvested, the minister said after a coordination meeting on basic necessaries here on Friday.He said the total area of flood-affected rice fields this year was wider than last year when only 66,400 hectares were flooded. But the acreage which failed to be harvested this year was smaller, he added.The minister said, on a national scale, the floods had not affected rice production.

The coordination meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Beodiono, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Jalil, Transportation Minister Jusman Syafi`i Jamal, State Logistics Agency (Bulog) chief Mustafa Abu Bakar, Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Rusman Heriawan and representatives of a number of state companies.During the last five years, an average of 69,500 heactares of rice fields per year were affected by floods while harvest failure occurred on an average of 17,000 hectares per year.The minister also said the total area of rice fields in Indonesia had increased from 1.14 million hectares to 2.0 million hectares. He predicted there would be a rice deficit in January 2008 because production was estimated at 1.28 million tons while demand for rice in the same month was expected to reach 1.5-2.6 million tons.But in the February-April 2008 period, there would be a rice surplus because production would reach 4.06 million tons in February, 5.87 million tons in March and 4.6 million tons in April.The minister said he believed the national rice production target of 58.1 million tons of dried unhulled rice would be achieved. After all, production had reached 57.05 million tons of dried unhusked rice.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-2523 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-2523 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-3936 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:1919 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

BRUSSELS, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Looking back over the European Union's record as security actor in 2007, two things stand out. The year will be remembered for the Lisbon Treaty, which, once ratified by the 27 member states, holds the promise of making the EU more activist and outward-looking. But the year will also be remembered by continued intra-EU squabbling over key security challenges like Kosovo, Chad, Afghanistan and the continued inability to match the bloc's aims with resources and manpower. Against expectations, only EU support for the U.N. Lebanon mission seems trouble-free.

The Lisbon Treaty tries to streamline the EU's institutions -- designed in 1956 -- in order to support service for the bloc of 27 members. The new treaty beefs up the role of the High Representative for External Affairs -- the EU foreign minister -- who would also become a vice president of the European Commission. This person would chair meetings of European foreign ministers and lead an External Action Service, an EU diplomatic corps. With these changes, the EU's aid budget will be able to dovetail political priorities, and foreign governments will met one EU interface, not several institutions each with its own agenda. EU military missions will also be able to work more closely with their civilian colleagues.But as the treaty will make improvements to the EU's setup, problems with current operations show how far the EU has to go to become a credible foreign policy actor. In 2007 the EU's three main missions -- in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Chad -- all suffered from serious shortfalls in equipment, personnel or materiel.

In what will become the EU's flagship operation, the follow-on Rule of Law mission to the 8-year-old U.N. mission in Kosovo, the EU has benefited from the longest and most comprehensive planning process it has ever undertaken. The EU has worked hand-in-glove with the United States, and it now looks likely that Kosovo will receive some form of conditional independence in 2008. Yet problems recruiting the 1,800 police officers and prosecutors for the mission now risks undermining implementation. The same problem is plaguing the EU's putative mission to Chad, which was meant to stop any spillover from the conflict in Darfur. While Ireland and Poland have offered troops, the number of helicopters pledged has been zero. Without air assets, it will not be possible to deploy a robust operation. The paucity is odd, for, as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband pointed out in November, EU countries have around 1,200 transport helicopters, yet only about 35 are deployed in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, the EU's effort looks more impressive. Troops from the EU account for more than half of ISAF's total deployment of 35,500 soldiers. EU states command of a third of all Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Together with the European Commission, EU states have paid for a third of the country's reconstruction. But despite this, EU support for the mission is in reality limited, and cooperation between its various elements remains inadequate. The total European troop contribution falls well short of the 17,000 U.S. troops deployed with ISAF and its 8,000 Coalition Force troops outside of NATO.In the vital areas of policing, rule of law and counter-narcotics, EU member states have pursued policies independently of each other. Finally, the European Commission's development assistance to Afghanistan is falling this year, from 200 million euros a year to 150 million euros a year. This has contributed to the problems in Afghanistan's reconstruction.In all three missions, the EU's intentions have not been matched by its capabilities and concerted follow-through. The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, once ratified by the 27 EU countries, will begin the much-needed process of rationing the EU's foreign policy apparatus.

But to become a more effective security actor in 2008, the bloc will need to invest in a range of civilian and military capabilities and ensure that the three missions -- in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Chad -- are well-resourced. The EU cannot hope to become a global player by fighting on the cheap.

(Daniel Korski is a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Until earlier this year, he was a senior British official and head of the U.K. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Basra, Iraq.)2007 United Press International.

Mubarak Offered to Mediate Between Israel and Syria DEC 27,07

(IsraelNN.com) Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak offered to mediate between Israel and Syria if the countries resume negotiations, a newspaper in the Persian Gulf reported. The offer was reportedly made by Mubarak in his meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak Wednesday, in Sharm a-Sheikh.According to Al Bayan, Egypt wants Israel to gradually retreat from the Golan Heights over a 10 to 15 year period. Following that, the Golan would be demilitarized and U.S., Russian and Egyptian troops would be stationed in it.

The CARMEL ALERT Dec 28th 2007A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.

David's Comment: 2007 is Almost Over - What Might 2008 Bring ?Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (NKJ)

Just a few more days and 2007 will be history. As we monitor the daily news of the world we see once again the annual chaos of the last few days before Christmas. Last minute temptations to over spend on gifts place extra strain on credit card limits and bank balances. And as often is the case in colder locations, extreme December weather conditions are causing chaos on roads and at airports, severely hindering the plans of thousands who aretrying to get away to spend their holidays in warmer locations. Some unfortunate souls in the US will not see this or any other New Year, as their lives have been prematurely ended by the harsh weather conditions, but the great majority will make it through to experience life in 2008. So what may 2008 hold for the citizens of Planet Earth ?

Here in Israel, we approach the end of 2007 with a sigh of relief that the expected war with Syria did not materialise. That does not mean that the threat is behind us. Israelis grow up learning to deal with the reality that the next war is not that far off in the future - it could happen at any time. The tensions on the northern border never really go away as Syria still smarts over her loss of the Golan Heights in the war of 1973. Then there is Hizb'Allah, always seeking an opportunity to exact revenge upon Israel for the wars in Lebanon. About 200 km (130 miles) to the south lies the Gaza Strip, from where Kassam rockets are launched into Israel almost every day. It is only a matter of time before Israel will need to launch a full scale mission into Gaza to attempt to stop the rocket attacks. Finally, the other issue facing Israel in 2008 is Iran. Will, and if so when, will Israel take the necessary action to remove the threat of a future nuclear attack from Iran ?

As we look at the prospects for the nations in 2008, a number of issues stand out ............

* How will the ongoing Arab / Israeli conflict affect the rest of the world ?* If the price of oil continues to rise, what will the effects be on the lives of millions of people in the oil thirsty West ? * What will become of the US Dollar ? Will it be replaced by the Amero in 2008 ? * If that happens how will it affect the rest of the western world ? * Will Vladamir Putin continue to lead Russia into a new 'cold war' with the West ? * Will the ungodly governments of the post Christian nations make it more and more difficult for Bible believing Christians to function ?

Whatever the outcome of the above points, one thing is for sure ...... As 2008 replaces 2007, we are 1 year closer to the awesome day of the Lord's return. Yeshua is waiting in the wings of Heaven, observing events on the Earth, watching with anticipation as the restoration of Israel continues to unfold. He well knows that as soon as the Israel and the Jewish people are ready to receive Him as Messiah and King, Heaven will release Him to return to Jerusalem to set up His Father's Kingdom in a rebuilt Temple on the Temple Mount. On that great day, this evil age will come to an end and 1000 years of true Peace and Goodwill will commence.

As we enter into 2008, realising the lateness of the hour, we should all be inspired to increase our activity in the following thee areas ...............

1/ Praying for Israel - for millions more Jewish people to return from the nations - for all Israel to be saved - for many more apostolic ministries to be raised up in Israel

2/ Praying for and sharing the Good News with the lost - our family - our friends - the people we interact with during the day

3/ Encouraging other believers to do the same

Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (NKJ)

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.

(Washington, D.C., December 27, 2007) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday by Islamic radicals. A leading pro-democracy and pro-Westerner political reformer in the Muslim world, Bhutto had just finished addressing a campaign rally of supporters in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. Jihadists opened fire on the once and possibly future premier using automatic weapons, hitting her in the neck and chest. A suicide bomber then blew himself up at site, leaving Bhutto dead and killing at least 20 others. The attack is certainly another tragedy for Bhutto's family (her father, who was premier in the late 1970s, was hanged by radicals in 1979) and we should be praying for their peace and comfort during this difficult time. But why else does Bhutto's death matter?

To be blunt: Pakistan and her nuclear weapons are in danger of falling into the hands of Islamic radicals. Such radicals have attempted to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf multiple times in the last few years, hoping to seize control of the government and impose sharia law. Today's attack is a sobering reminder that Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control. It is difficult to imagine a more nightmarish scenario than al-Qaeda in possession of Pakistan's nuclear arsensal, but this is not an impossibility. For several years, and certainly throughout 2007, Musharraf has been severely criticized by Western leaders -- including those here in Washington, D.C. -- for imposing martial law and employing other heavy-handed tactics in an attempt to crush the radicals and safeguard the country from their control. He has deserved some of this criticism, but we must also keep things in perspective.

While we all want Pakistan to become a fully-developed democracy --peaceful, prosperous and healthy in all respects -- we must be very careful never to underestimate the danger that Musharraf and his colleagues are in from the radicals. They are in a battle not just for the soul but the very survival of their country. I personally have serious concerns about how truly committed Musharraf is to Jeffersonian democracy. But I do not believe that he is the worst-case scenario for Pakistan. Bin Laden (or bid Laden-ism) is the worst case scenario. Let us, therefore, take great pains not repeat the mistakes that President Jimmy Carter made in the late-1970s when he pressed so hard for democracy and human rights in Iran that the Shah eventually was forced to flee the country and the Ayatollah Khomeini took over. As deeply flawed as the Shah was, can anyone effectively argue today that Khomeini was better for the people of Iran, the people of the epicenter, or the world at large?

FYI: Benazir Bhutto, it should be noted, became the first woman prime minister of a Muslim country on December 2, 1988 and served until August 6, 1990. She was later reelected Prime Minister, serving from October 19, 1993 through November 5, 1996. FYI: Agence France Presse reports that there have been more than 40 suicide attacks in Pakistan this year that have left at least 770 people dead and notes that the deadliest terror attack in Pakistan's history targetted her homecoming rally just hours after her return, leaving 139 people dead.

FYI: The New York Times reports that the attack Thursday...is the latest blow to Pakistan's treacherous political situation. It comes just days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a state of emergency, imposed in part because of terrorist threats. Ms. Bhutto, 54, returned from self-imposed exile to Pakistan this year to present herself as the answer to the nation's troubles: a tribune of democracy in a state that has been under military rule for eight years, and the leader of the country's largest opposition political party, founded by her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, one of Pakistan's most flamboyant and democratically inclined prime ministers. But her record in power, and the dance of veils she has deftly performed since her return -- one moment standing up to the Pakistan president, General Musharraf, then next seeming to accommodate him, and never quite revealing her actual intentions -- has stirred as much distrust as hope among Pakistanis.

In their first meeting since pledging a yearlong push for peace, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas remained at odds Thursday over an Israeli plan to build in East Jerusalem but promised to continue their talks.The two leaders, who made their pledge last month during a U.S.-hosted conference, were seeking to put talks back on track after a pair of acrimonious meetings between their negotiating teams.Aides to Olmert and Abbas described Thursday's two-hour session as positive, despite the lingering disagreement over Israel's plans to build 300 new homes in a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem it calls Har Homa.The leaders promised to continue meeting regularly and reiterated their commitment to a negotiated agreement.Olmert and Abbas were joined by the heads of the negotiating teams, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, and other top aides.

Olmert promised Israel would refrain from building new Jewish settlements, expanding the spread of existing ones or confiscating land for new construction, said spokesman Mark Regev.Israel argues that Har Homa is part of Jerusalem and subject to Israeli law rather than negotiations under the peace process. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 Middle East War, but most of the world has not recognized that action. Olmert's vows fall short of meeting Palestinian demands. Abbas urged Olmert to halt all settlement activities to avoid undermining any future negotiated peace arrangement, said aide Saeb Erekat.While more fundamental issues such as the borders of a future Palestinian state remain to be negotiated, the parties have bogged down over security and settlement expansion - an inauspicious start to President Bush's push to resume serious peace talks after a lull of nearly seven years.Bush arrives in two weeks for meetings with both sides.

Palestinian officials objected bitterly this month to the announcement about the new building at Har Homa and were further angered over news of an Israeli budget proposal for more than 700 units in Har Homa and Maale Adumim, a West Bank settlement near Jerusalem.The Palestinians say the construction would violate Israel's commitment under the long-stalled road map peace plan, which calls for a freeze on settlement activities, including natural growth of existing settlements.Israeli officials, in turn, complain that the Palestinians have failed to meet their commitments under the road map to act against armed groups.The two sides are seeking to put in place the first stage of the road map plan while simultaneously conducting peace negotiations aimed at reaching an overall accord by the end of 2008, shortly before Bush leaves office.Few observers in the Middle East hold out much hope because both Olmert and Abbas are too weak politically to make risky concessions required for a lasting agreement.A joint Israeli-Palestinian poll this week reflected that skepticism: Only 23 percent of Palestinians and 8 percent of Israelis said they believed their leaders could reach a negotiated peace settlement by the end of next year.

WE couldn’t believe the accolade and praise heaped by King Carlos I of Spain on Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her adherence to democracy and outstanding human rights record. We wonder where His Majesty has been all this time. Was he properly briefed before heaping those unbelievable praise on Ms Arroyo? What is outstanding in this administration? A human rights record that is worse than that of Marcos’ martial law? More than 800 cases of extrajudicial killings have claimed the lives of political activists and journalists. There are hundreds of forced disappearances. And we have seen the violent suppression of the people’s basic right to peaceably assemble and of the freedom of the press, and the continuing disregard of democratic processes in a clear attempt to hide the truth in controversies hounding the Arroyo administration. Did His Majesty praise Ms Arroyo for all these?

Maypagasa strongly urges the Spanish government and other European Union states to put pressure on this immoral government to stop it from committing more of these illegal acts. The European Union must not close its eyes and condone the anti-democratic actions being perpetrated by the Arroyo administration against the Filipino people.—ROEL GARCIA, spokesperson, Maypagasa, via e-mail.

TAURAN-MUSLIMS Dec-28-2007 Vatican official expects new level of dialogue with Muslims in 2008By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican official in charge of interreligious dialogue said he is confident a new level of dialogue with Muslims will take place in 2008.There is good will on both sides, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.After 138 Muslim scholars sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders in October outlining a proposal for a new dialogue and greater understanding, the pope invited a representative group of the scholars to meet with him at the Vatican. At the same time, the pope suggested the scholars hold a working session with officials from Cardinal Tauran's office, the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Jordan's Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, the architect of the Muslim scholars' project, wrote back to the Vatican in December suggesting that representatives meet in February or March to work out the details of the dialogue.I am very confident in the outcome of this meeting, Cardinal Tauran told Vatican Radio Dec. 28.He said he expected the meeting to deal with the dignity of the human person and his rights, first of all the right to freedom of conscience and religion, with the need for believers to have an objective knowledge of the religion of the other, and with the need to educate young people in tolerance and respect for the beliefs of others.END

Friday, December 28, 2007

BENAZIR BHUTTO MURDERED

2 PETER 2:55 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 PETER 3:77 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men

LEVITICUS 26:1616 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

GENESIS 16:11-1211 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

JOHN 16:22 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-121 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:11 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-73 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-81 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-313 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

MURDER

GENESIS 4:8-11 (THE FIRST MURDER)8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

GENESIS 6:11-13 (EARTH DESTROYED BECAUSE OF TERRORISM,MURDERS)11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

EXODUS 20:1313 Thou shalt not kill.(Murder)

REVELATION 9:20-2120 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils,(OCCULT) and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries,(DRUG ADDICTIONS) nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)

LUKE 21:25-2625 And there shall be signs in the sun,(OZONE DEPLETION) and in the moon,(FIRST MAN ON MOON) and in the stars;(JUPITER BOMBARDED ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS MURDER MEANS IN LIGHT OF PROPHECY. BUT I KNOW IF THE ARAB MURDERERS GET A HOLD OF THE 60 NUKES IN PAKISTAN THEY WILL USE THEM ON ISRAEL AND AMERICA, THATS WHAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT.

Thursday, 27 December 2007, 22:28 GMT Benazir Bhutto killed in attack

Benazir Bhutto had been addressing rallies in many parts of Pakistan Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack. Ms Bhutto - the first woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb. At least 20 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

President Pervez Musharraf has urged people to remain calm but angry protests have gripped some cities, with at least 11 deaths reported. Security forces have been placed on a state of red alert nationwide. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. Analysts believe Islamist militants to be the most likely group behind it. Ms Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had served as prime minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, and had been campaigning ahead of elections due on 8 January.

Benazir Bhutto's coffin has now been taken from the hospital

It was the second suicide attack against her in recent months and came amid a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials. Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, announced his Muslim League party would boycott the elections. He called on President Musharraf to resign, saying free and fair elections were not possible under his rule. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session and later said it unanimously condemned the assassination.

Scene of grief

Ms Bhutto's coffin was removed from hospital in Rawalpindi and has now arrived by plane in Sukkur in Sindh province for burial in her home town, Larkana. Extremist groups have in their sights all those committed to democratic processes in Pakistan David Miliband UK foreign secretary

What next for Pakistan?

Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, has arrived in Pakistan from Dubai to escort the coffin to its final resting-place. The attack occurred close to an entrance gate of the city park where Ms Bhutto had been speaking. Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest before the gunman blew himself up. She died at 1816 (1316 GMT), said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who was at hospital. It was only a matter of time before the darker forces... carried out this action Helen Stynes Swaffham

Some supporters at the hospital wept while others broke into anger, throwing stones at cars and breaking windows. Protests erupted in other cities as news of the assassination spread, with reports of 11 deaths in the PPP's heartland province of Sindh, including four in provincial capital, Karachi. More than 100 cars were burned in Karachi, while cars and a train were reportedly set on fire in Hyderabad.

In other violence:

Police in Peshawar, in the north-west, used batons and tear gas to break up a rally by protesters chanting anti-Musharraf slogans One man was killed in a shoot-out between police and protesters in Tando Allahyar, the mayor said Unrest was also reported in Quetta, Multan and Shikarpur

Security lapse

Mr Musharraf has announced three days of national mourning. All schools, colleges, universities, banks and government offices will remain closed. Protesters set vehicles on fire in the streets of Hyderabad Mr Sharif said there had been a serious lapse in security by the government. Earlier on Thursday, at least four people were killed ahead of an election rally Mr Sharif had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi. Ms Bhutto's death has plunged the PPP into confusion and raises questions about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says. The killing was condemned by India, the US, the UK and others. US President George W Bush telephoned Mr Musharraf for what the White House would only describe as a brief conversation on the situation.

BENAZIR BHUTTO

Father led Pakistan before being executed in 1979Spent five years in prisonServed as PM from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996Sacked twice by president on corruption chargesFormed alliance with rival ex-PM Nawaz Sharif in 2006Ended self-imposed exile by returning to Pakistan in OctoberEducated at Harvard and Oxford

Ms Bhutto returned from self-imposed exile in October after years out of Pakistan where she had faced corruption charges. Her return was the result of a power-sharing agreement with President Musharraf He had granted an amnesty that covered the court cases she was facing. But relations with Mr Musharraf soon broke down. On the day of her arrival, she had led a motor cavalcade through the city of Karachi. It was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead. Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan's military, is seen as one of the country's most secure cities. Many analysts say attacks like those on Thursday show the creeping Talebanisation of Pakistan. Radical Muslims calling for Islamic law, and fiercely opposed to the US, have become increasingly active in Pakistani politics in recent years, analysts say.

THE ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO

1. Benazir Bhutto had addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in Rawalpindi's Liaqat Bagh Park2. As her convoy was leaving the park via the rear gate onto Murree road, she was shot twice in the neck and chest3. The gunman then blew himself up killing at least 16 people4. Ms Bhutto was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 1816 local time.

Al-Qaeda's New Terror Tactic? By BRUCE CRUMLEY/PARIS DEC 28,07

Just 24 hours after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's interior ministry announced what many people had suspected: al-Qaeda-linked extremists were responsible for the killing. The ministry said that one of Bhutto's assailants was a known member of the extremist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a group it said was allied with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. If so, it could give further evidence for a dramatic and disturbing diversification in Al-Qaeda's terrorism playbook. Up until now, the violent methods employed by al-Qaeda and its operatives around the globe have largely eschewed single assassinations or the targeting of political leaders. Instead the group has preferred creating chaos and panic through large terror strikes that claim large numbers of random victims - carnage that creates pressure and fear in the societies and governments that the jihadists view as enemies. This was evident in the turmoil and trauma unleashed by Al-Qaeda's strikes against civilian populations in Madrid, London, Bali and New York. The strategy, Al Qaeda has always believed, has longer effects on collective psychologies and morale than the assassination of lofty - and constantly protected - political leaders.

One of the things that makes terrorism so difficult to prevent is it's designed to strike targets you don't really expect, or can't predict because they only look different from thousands of other potential targets in hindsight, says a French counter-terrorism official. That's one reason why extremists haven't gone after political leaders often: those are the holders of real power everyone expects jihadists would want to kill.But that isn't an iron-clad policy - and may be changing quickly. If the path from Bhutto's murder leads to the al-Qaeda camp, it could well indicate political assassination, once an exception to the rules, has now become a must-do in the Jihadist playbook. Islamist radicals have been accused in the past of plotting to kill Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf because of his alliance with the U.S. and its war on terror. Those purported attempts produced near-misses at best. Similarly, Taliban extremists have tried and failed to assassinate western-backed President Hamid Karzai in neighboring Afghanistan. In 2004, three extremists were arrested in Germany on accusations they were planning to assassinate Iraq's visiting Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi. And just last September, a member of Algeria's al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb killed 22 people in a suicide bombing that had as its primary target Algerian president, Abdulaziz Bouteflika. The Algerian president survived.

Going after a well-protected leader or politician is harder, so the situation has to be just right, says a French intelligence official. That usually means ambient chaos, possible help from within security forces, and good chance of success.All those elements may have been in place ahead of the attack on Bhutto. The problem is determining exactly who exploited them. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban had both previously threatened her for her pledges to modernize Pakistan, and promises to allow U.S. forces to hunt down jihadists on Pakistani soil. Military and intelligence forces in the country also considered her a threat. (Members of both Pakistani agencies have long been accused of ties with al-Qaeda and the Taliban.) Even members of the Musharraf government viewed Bhutto with hostility in the run-up to the Jan. 8 elections.

So many people had a motive for killing her it's impossible to know who was responsible despite the theories and claims now being made, says the intelligence official. There is so much scheming and double-dealing in Pakistan that the country is the analyst's worst nightmare. We may never really know what group was responsible, and what kind of help it got.Perhaps, but no matter who was behind Bhutto's assassination, one thing seems clear early in its aftermath: it has helped create the uproar and turmoil al-Qaeda has always seen as its best method of destabilizing enemy regimes it wants to replace. To al-Qaeda, any means of bringing that about is fair game, the French counter-terrorism official notes, saying the group's active involvement or connivance in Bhutto's murder may be a mere detail compared to the result. If its leaders thought political assassination of Musharraf's main rival would create real trouble for Musharraf himself, why would they hesitate? They're willing to do anything, and with anyone's help.